Method and means for joining h-form structural columns and beams



y 1969 YOSHIRO WATANABE ,542

METHOD AND MEANS FOR JOINING H-FORM STRUCTURAL COLUMNS AND BEAMS Filed Nov. 21, 1966 Sheet of 5 F IGS FIGZ INVENTOR. YOSH/RO WA TA NAB y 6, 1969 YOSHIRO WATANABE 3,442,542

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United States Patent 3,442,542 METHOD AND MEANS FOR JOINING H-FORM STRUCTURAL COLUMNS AND BEAMS Yoshiro Watanabe, Takinogawa Apartment of Japan Housing Association, N 0. 3, 7-chorne, Takinogawa, Kita-ku, Tokyo, Japan Filed Nov. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 595,962 Claims priority, application Japan, Nov. 20, 1965,

0/71,272 Int. Cl. F16b 1/00, 5/00, 7/00 U.S. Cl. 287-18935 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a method for joining structural columns or beams of the H-form having different web sizes, and more particularly to a device for tying together such H-structural members with the one of smaller web size extending axially above the other of greater web size.

The so-called H-beams made of steel have been in wide use as reliable supporting means in a building construction.

It would be relatively easy to attain sufficient strength of the H-beam connections provided that adjoining H- beam members are similar in web size, web thickness and flange thickness, such H-beam members being connected by a plate splicer and welded in place. However, difficulties arise where it is required to connect H-beams of different web sizes in the known manner in which considerable fillers are needed to fill the gap between adjoining flanges of the two H-structural members different in web size andso much longer rivets or bolts are required to extend through and secure the spliced portions of the Such time-consuming joining operation would not still warrant the clamping security of the H- beam connections and would only invite an increase in the weight of the spliced area of the H members.

An alternative means heretofore used would involve the tapering of an I-I-beam of larger web size to come in registry end to end with an H-beam of smaller web size, thereby facilitating the welding of, the abutting ends of the two adjacent H-beam members. The resulting joint configuration may be acceptable from the point of view of appearance only at. the expense of time and cost of forging and welding operations. This joining process would further require extremely high workmanship to maintain the desired transmission of stresses on the welded parts of the H-members.

Whereas, it is an object of this invention to provide new and useful method and means for joining H-structural members of different web sizes which will eliminate the above-noted difliculties. More specifically, the invention contemplates the use of splicers of the special design capable of joining H-beams 0r H-columns of different Web sizes without resort to forging or welding and securing them together with suflicient joint strength against all possible stresses.

The splicers according to the invention invariably com- 3,442,542 Patented May 6, 1969 .tioning of different size H-structural members. The

geometry of the splicer embodying the invention is such that one flat plate portion of the splicer abuts against the outer face of the flange of a small web H-member and the other flatplate portion against the inner face of the flange of a large web H-member.

In one form of the invention, the splicer is provided with a recess in the rigid region thereof for ease and security of riveting or bolting the splicer to the flanges of the H-beams or H-columns. The splicer under consideration may be sized to the specifications of the H- structural members used and may be prefabricated to sizes and configurations compatible with the specific H- structural members so that they are readily assembled with corresponding H-beams or H-columns at the factory or at the job site.

It is to be noted that the splicers of the invention may be applied not only to such H-structural members which have different web sizes but to those of different flange sizes. The splicers may be of either steel or cast iron.

The greatest practical acceptance of this invention is accordingly in the field of building constructions and civil engineering where columns and beams of the H- configuration of different web and flange sizes are to be used.

The above object and features of the invention will be better understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of H-structural members to be joined in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a typical example of the splicer embodying the invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates the splicers of FIG. 2 as in abutting relation to the H-structural members of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the splicers of FIG. 2 shown as finally joining the H-structural members of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 illustrates one modification of the splicer embodying the invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates the set of splicers of FIG. 5 as in abuting relation to the H-structural members of FIG. I with a half portion cut away;

FIG. 7 illustrates the splicers of FIG. 5 as finally joining the H-structural members of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is another modification of the splicer embodying the invention;

FIG. 9 illustrates the splicer of FIG. 8 as finally joining the 'H-structural members of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 10 illustrates the splicer of FIG. 2 as applied to a girder.

Reference is first had to FIG. 2 which shows a preferred form of the splicer according to the invention. This splicer 5 comprises a first flat plate portion 6 adapted to engage with the inner flange face of a small web size H- beam and a second flat plate portion 7 adapted to engage with the outer flange face of a large web size H-beam, and a centrally formed rigid region 8 of substantially parallelogram cross section defined by sloped surfaces 9. These sloped surfaces are recessed at 10 and provided therein with a rivet or bolt-receiving hole 11. The symmetrical plate portions 6 and 7 of the splicer are provided at similar intervals with rivet or bolt-receiving holes 12 of similar size to the hole 11 in the recessed portions 10.

The splicer according to the invention has a width substantially one-half of the flange length of an H-beam splicer of FIG. 2 is applied to member to which it is to be applied and a thickness at least at the rigid region 8 substantially one-half of the differences of the web length of the two H-beam members to be joined together.

There is shown in FIG. 1 a typical example of two different web size H-structural members having their respective web sizes A and A, flange sizes B and B, web thicknesses t and t, and flange thicknesses t and 1' These H-structural members 1 and 2 should be provided with rivet or bolt-receiving holes 13 of similar size and at similar intervals to the holes 11 and 12 in the splicer 5. As illustrated in FIG. 3, there are used two of these splicers on each side of the H-structural members 1 and 2. They are interposed between the flange portions 3 and 4 of the associated H-members 1 and 2 similarly at opposite sides and secured in place either by riveting or bolting as shown in FIG. 4. To assure further clamping security of the H-beam joints, there may be used a plate splicer 16 with which to clamp the web portions 18 and 19 of the H-beams by rivets 17 as illustrated in FIG. 4.

Reference to FIG. 5 shows a modification of the invention which comprises an assembly of outer splicer and inner splicer 20, said outer splicer having symmetric flat plate portions 6 and 7 adapted to abut against outer flanges of both small and large web H-beam members 1 and 2 having a width substantially equal to the flange length thereof. The outer splicer 15 is provided centrally with a recessed slope 9 and an abutting face 23 of substantialy right angles to the plane of the flat region 6, said slope 9 and face 23 defining a rigid region 8 of the splicer. The outer splicer 15 is provided with two similar rows of rivet or bolt-receiving holes 12 in registry with the respective holes in each of the two inner splicers that are installed on opposite sides of the web portions of the H-beams. The inner splicer 20 is substantially half as wide as the flange length of the H-beam to which it is to be applied, and is provided with flat plate portions 21 and 22 corresponding to the plate portions 6 and 7 of the dual splicer device 15 and defining its rigid region 8.

This two-piece splicer arrangement is applied to the H- structural members of different web sizes of FIG. 1 in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 wherein the outer twin splicer 15 is placed in abutting relation to the outer flange portions of the H-beams 1 and 2 while two of the inner single splicer 20 are abutting against the inner flange portions thereof. The H-structural members 1 and 2 are thus joined and secured together by the splicer assembly with use of rivets or bolts, and may be further clamped at the web portions thereof with use of a plate splicer 16 and rivets or bolts 17 as shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 8 shows another modification of the splicer embodying the invention which is substantially identical in the splicer concept of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 except that the rigid region 8 of this modification is shaped substantially oblong in cross section and provided with a blind cavity 24 for purposes of weight reduction of the splicer unit. The splicer 25 may be applied to different web size H-beams or H-columns in a manner similar to the basic splicer concept illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4.

FIG. 10 is utilized to show the manner in which the a girder construction.

Having thus described the invention, it will be apparent that various modifications and changes may be made therein without being restricted to the precise form and construction that have been advanced and without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A metal splicer for joining H-form structural columns or beams of different web depths in longitudinal axial alignment comprising two symmetrical offset flat plate portions having a plurality of substantially equally spaced holes arranged to receive rivets or bolts and being adapted to abut against the adjacent flange faces of adjoining H-columns of different web depths, and a centrally formed rigid region of substantially parallelogram cross section, said flat plate portions extending axially from said rigid region in opposite directions from the respective parallel sides thereof defined by said cross section, said rigid region being recessed to accommodate a hole arranged to receive a rivet or bolt and having a thickness of substantially one half of the difference of the web depth of the adjoining H-columns and each of said symmertical flat plate portions having a width substantially one half of the flange width of each H-column.

2. A metal splicer as defined in claim 1 in which said rigid region has a substantially oblong cross section provided therein with a blind cavity.

3. A metal splicer assembly for joining H-form structural columns or beams of different web depths in longitudinal axial alignment comprising an outer splicer member having two similar rows of holes arranged to receive rivets or bolts and two offset symmetric flat plate portions adapted to abut against the outer flanges of adjoining larger and smaller web depth H-columns, and an inner splicer member including two oflset flat plate portions similar to those of said outer splicer member and having holes arranged to receive rivets or bolts in registry with one of said rows of holes in the outer splicer member and having a width substantially one half of the flange width of each H-column, said inner splicer member being adapted to abut against the inner flange face of each H- column, and each of said outer and inner splicer members having a centrally formed rigid region of a thickness substantially one half of the difference of the web depth of the adjoining H-columns, the flat plate portions on each of said outer and inner splicer members extending axially in opposite directions from opposed sides of the rigid thereof in substantially parallel relationship, said rigid region being recessed to accommodate at least one hole arranged to receive a rivet or bolt.

4. A method of joining H-form structural columns or beams which comprises arranging in longitudinal axial alignment an H column of a smaller web depth equidistantly flange to flange upon an H column of a larger web depth, inserting a metal splicer into a spacing defined by the flange portions of the adjoining H-columns of different web depths, said splicer having a first flat plate engageable in face to face relation with the flange surface of the H-column having the smaller web depths and a second flat plate portion similarly engageable with the adjacent flange surface of the H-column having the larger web depth and attaching the splicer in place to the two H-columns as by riveting or bolting, said splicer including a centrally formed rigid region joining said first and second plates.

5. The method as defined in claim 4, comprising clamping said H-columns together at the respective web portions with a place splicer.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 271,696 2/1883 Friedrick 52-7 29 905,616 12/ 1908 Wissler 238--243 1,110,291 9/ 1914 Keller 23 8-244 1,519,292 12/ 197A Castleman 52-726 CARL W. TAMLIN, Primary Examiner. R. S. BRITTS, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

